Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
Examiner acknowledges Applicant's amendment filed on April 13, 2026. Claims 1, 3, 7-9, 12 and 13 are amended. Claim 2 has been canceled.
Claims 1 and 3-13 are currently pending consideration.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claim 1-13 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 3-5, 7, 8 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deghel et al. (US 2025/0056540 A1) in view of Yuan et al. (US 2023/0396301 A1).
4. Regarding claims 1 and 12, Deghel teaches a method (Fig. 3 and 8, Paragraph [0029]), the method comprising:
receiving information for N reference signals for uplink transmission (Fig. 3 and 8, receive first and second uplink configurations; two overlapping uplink transmissions),
based on the N reference signals being grouped into M pairs of reference signals, performing the uplink transmission by mapping each of the M pairs to transmission occasions configured for the uplink transmission, (Fig. 3 Paragraphs [0108] to [0111] and [0141] to [0143] pairs of uplink transmissions),
wherein N and M are integers, and M is less than N,
a first type of reference signal based on an uplink transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state; and
a second type of reference signal based on spatial relation information, wherein all of the N reference signals are mapped to the transmission occasions, and wherein the M pairs are grouped based on at least one of a reference signal, and order in which a reference signal is configured or indicated, or an index related to a reference signal (Paragraphs [0108] to [0111] and [0141] to [0143] pairs of uplink transmissions/ M is less than N, simultaneous transmissions from two UE panels).
Deghel does not explicitly disclose wherein the N reference signals include both (a first type of reference signal based on an uplink transmission configuration (TCI) state and a second type of reference signal based on a spatial relation information).
Yuan teaches wherein the N reference signals include both (a first type of reference signal based on an uplink transmission configuration (TCI) state and a second type of reference signal based on a spatial relation information) (Paragraph [0130] uplink beams, multiple TCI states, spatial information or a combination).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to provide wherein the N reference signals include both as taught by Yuan in the system of Deghel for common beam indication techniques see abstract of Yuan.
5. Regarding claim 3, Deghel in view of Yuan teaches wherein M pairs of reference signals are grouped by prioritizing the first type over the second type (Deghel, Fig.3, Paragraph [0129] and [0130] determine whether overlapping uplink transmissions and determine uplink configurations).
6. Regarding claim 4, Deghel in view of Yuan teaches wherein the N reference signals includes a plurality of reference signals corresponding to the same type (Deghel, Fig.3, Paragraph [0129] and [0130] determine whether overlapping uplink transmissions in frequency domain or time domain and determine uplink configurations).
7. Regarding claim 5, Deghel in view of Yuan teaches wherein the M pairs of reference signals are grouped according to an order in which the plurality of reference signals are indicated (Deghel Paragraphs [0108] to [0111], [0129], [0130] and [0141] to [0143] pairs of uplink transmissions/ M is less than N, simultaneous transmissions from two UE panels).
8. Regarding claim 7, Deghel in view of Yuan teaches wherein each of the M pairs is simultaneously applied for the uplink transmission (Deghel Fig.3, Paragraph [0108] to [0111], [0129] and [0130] determine whether overlapping uplink transmissions and determine uplink configurations).
9. Regarding claim 8, Deghel in view of Yuan teaches
wherein capability information related to simultaneous application of a pair of reference signals is reported to a network, and wherein the simultaneous application of the pair of reference signals is enabled by the network (Deghel, Paragraphs [0108] to [0111] UE capability; enable simultaneous uplink transmission).
10. Regarding claim 11, Deghel in view of Yuan teaches
wherein capability information related to a number of reference signal candidate sets supportable is reported to a network, and
wherein a number of reference signals to be paired is based on the number of RS candidate (Deghel, Paragraphs [0108] to [0111] UE capability; enable simultaneous uplink transmission).
11. Regarding claim 13, Deghel teaches an apparatus (Figures 3 and 9), comprising:
at least one transceiver; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
transmit information for N reference signals for uplink reception (Figure 9, transmit first and second uplink configuration) and based on the N reference signals being grouped into M pairs of reference signals (Fig. 3 Paragraphs [0108] to [0111] and [0141] to [0143] pairs of uplink transmissions), perform the uplink reception by mapping each of the M pairs to transmission occasions configured for the uplink transmission, wherein N and M are integers, and M is less than N, a first type of reference signal based on an uplink transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state; and
a second type of reference signal based on spatial relation information, wherein all of the N reference signals are mapped to the transmission occasions, and wherein the M pairs are grouped based on at least one of a reference signal, and order in which a reference signal is configured or indicated, or an index related to a reference signal (Paragraphs [0108] to [0111] and [0141] to [0143] pairs of uplink transmissions/ M is less than N, simultaneous transmissions from two UE panels).
Deghel does not explicitly disclose wherein the N reference signals include both (a first type of reference signal based on an uplink transmission configuration (TCI) state and a second type of reference signal based on a spatial relation information).
Yuan teaches wherein the N reference signals include both (a first type of reference signal based on an uplink transmission configuration (TCI) state and a second type of reference signal based on a spatial relation information) (Paragraph [0130] uplink beams, multiple TCI states, spatial information or a combination).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to provide wherein the N reference signals include both as taught by Yuan in the system of Deghel for common beam indication techniques see abstract of Yuan.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deghel et al. (US 2025/0056540 A1) in view of Yuan et al. (US 2023/0396301 A1) in view of Ghanbarinejad et al. (US 2024/0187080 A1).
12. Regarding claim 6, Deghel in view of Yuan does not explicitly disclose,
wherein the M pairs of reference signals are grouped sequentially based on a reference signal corresponding to a lowest index among the plurality of reference signals.
Ghanbarinejad teaches wherein the M pairs of reference signals are grouped sequentially based on a reference signal corresponding to a lowest index among the plurality of reference signals (Paragraph [0106] preferred beam pairs; based on information associated with the resources corresponding to the indexes).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide wherein the M pairs of reference signals are grouped sequentially based on a reference signal corresponding to a lowest index among the plurality of reference signals as taught by Ghanbarinejad in the system of Deghel in view of Yuan for simultaneous transmissions see paragraph [0106] of Ghanbarinejad.
Claims 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deghel et al. (US 2025/0056540 A1) in view of Yuan et al. (US 2023/0396301 A1) in view of Gao et al. (US 2024/0283616 A1).
13. Regarding claim 9, Deghel in view of Yuan does not explicitly disclose,
wherein, based on a plurality of transmission occasions for the uplink transmission being allocated, the uplink transmission is performed according to an indication of a mapping relation between the M pairs of reference signals and the plurality of transmission occasions.
Gao teaches wherein, based on a plurality of transmission occasions for the uplink transmission being allocated, the uplink transmission is performed according to an indication of a mapping relation between the M pairs of reference signals and the plurality of transmission occasions (Paragraphs [0145] and [0157] cyclic mapping).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide wherein, based on a plurality of transmission occasions for the uplink transmission being allocated, the uplink transmission is performed according to an indication of a mapping relation between the M pairs of reference signals and the plurality of transmission occasions as taught by Gao in the system of Deghel in view of Yuan for avoiding unnecessary beam switching see abstract of Gao.
14. Regarding claim 10, Deghel in view of Yuan in view of Gao teaches
wherein the mapping relation corresponds to cyclic mapping or sequential mapping (Gao, Paragraphs [0145] and [0157] cyclic mapping).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIANE LEE LO whose telephone number is (571)270-1952. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Faruk Hamza can be reached at (571)272-7969. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DIANE L LO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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